What stands out worked out from the figures below

Amesbury has the most renters (31.4% rent).

Boylston has the highest household income ($141k).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Amesbury	Boylston
People
Population	17,403Highest	4,948Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+11.3% MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.7±1.7Lowest 9% above MA	48.2±2.3Highest 21% above MA
Kids under 18	20%±2.4Highest MA: 19.4%	18%±3.6Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Amesbury and Boylston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.2%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9%	22%±4.1Highest MA: 17.9%
	Boylston and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44.8%Lowest MA: 47.3%	54.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.1%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9%	3.6%±1.7Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Amesbury and Boylston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$103,554±$12kLowest about the MA average	$140,962±$28kHighest 36% above MA
	Boylston and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$519,300±$32kLowest 8% below MA	$578,600±$47kHighest about the MA average
	Boylston and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,683±$115Lowest 4% below MA	$2,032±$350Highest 15% above MA
	Boylston and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,360Highest 23% above MA	$7,266Lowest 21% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	66.7%±10.7Highest MA: 51.8%	45.1%±16.7Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Amesbury and Boylston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.1%Highest MA: 10%	6.4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	68.6%Lowest MA: 62.5%	79.2%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1969Lowest 5 yrs newer than MA	1977Highest 13 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minHighest about the MA average	27 minLowest 8% below MA
Work from home	17.4%±2.8Lowest MA: 18.6%	22.7%±5.3Highest MA: 18.6%
	Boylston and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#151 of 282 in MA	#72 of 282 in MA
School district	Amesbury	Berlin-Boylston
High school in town	Amesbury High	Tahanto Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.9Lowest	11.1Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.